Darling in The FranXX: Aeturnum
by Lvl12Pidgey
Summary: Jin is a veteran parasite who, after many years of service to humanity has honed and perfected his abilities to a level like none other, standing atop all other parasites, and arguably, even the nines; however, not everyone is born strong, some must to fight to become strong. "Out of suffering have emerged the strongest souls; the most massive characters are seared with scars."
1. Chapter 1: 003

**Chapter 1: "003"**

 _This is exhausting..._

 _Why am I still here, I'd much rather be back at the boarding house already..._

 _Do they always have to go on and on like this, it's really nothing new..._

"Jin"

 _I wonder how many this fight makes..._

"Jin"

 _How much longer until I can see you again..._

"Jin!"

Startled, Jin jolts up, shaking his head softly, coaxing himself back to reality.

"Glad you could join us, may I continue now?"

Before he has a chance to reply the commander begins again.

Letting out a deep sigh, Jin settles back into his seat and runs a hand through his hair before leaning back. The commander had always given him a hard time about losing focus during these sorts of things but how could he not? Their job is to fight, he had done so already, what was the point of recapping something he'd already lived, discussing it wouldn't change anything.

Sitting in the dimly lit briefing room of plantation 75 were eleven people, Commander Ryuta, clean cut blonde hair, solid build, stern face, exactly what you would expect someone in his position to look like, as well as the remaining five teams of the plantations parasite squad. Team One consisted of Gen and Kana, Codes 084 and 185. Gen, the leader of squad 75, was 5'9" with short grey hair and pale blue eyes, his partner Kana stood an inch shorter, her head shaved close to the skin. Team Two was Kazuo and Ikumi, Codes 233 and 371. The two were matched at around 5'4", Kazuo with short brown hair swept off to one side, and Ikumi kept her long dark hair tied into a neat bun. Team Three, Hiraki and Mai, Codes 569 and 301. Hiraki was roughly 5'6" with dirty blonde hair and Mai, 5'5" with short red hair that cut off just above her shoulders. Team Four, Daisuke and Aki, Codes 398 and 506. Daisuke stood taller than any of the other parasites at 5'11" with shaved black hair, and Aki was a contrasting 5'1", the shortest, with long black hair that ran half way down the length of her back.

Lastly, was plantation 75's infamous Team Five, Code 260, otherwise known as Asumi and her stamen Jin. Asumi was 5'4" with short brown hair styled into a pixie cut. All the parasites of squad 75 blended well together, save for Jin, who clearly stood out from the rest. Standing level with Gen at 5'9" with black hair, shaved on the sides and swept back on the top; however, what set him apart was his clothing. While the others wore the standard parasite uniforms Jin wore black. Black shirt with black shorts, black sneakers as well. A more comfortable and unique attire given specifically to him.

"So, to conclude; Team One, you eliminated 52 Klaxosaurs on this outing. Team Two you got 27, Team Three, 39. Team Four, 33. Team Five manged just over 300 by the end of the day, excellent work you two."

"You really are amazing Asumi!" Ikumi chirps. "That's more than the entire squad combined! I really wish i could manage something like that."

The sudden compliment clearly made Asumi uncomfortable, as she begins fidgeting in her seat a faint blush touches her cheeks. She still wasn't used to the reactions she got from the newer members of Team Two whenever their performance in missions was involved.

"Really, it was nothing. After all Jin does most of the work on our missions."

"Alright," commander Ryuta's voice cut through the sudden commotion. "That's all for today. Return to the boarding house and try to get some rest. Be ready for re-deployment at 0900 hours tomorrow morning. Dismissed."

* * *

After the debriefing had concluded the members of Squad 75 began their trek back to the birdcage, feverishly discussing the events of the last mission.

"You guys did awesome out there today considering its still only been a few weeks since you got here!" Kana said, resting her hands on Team Two's shoulders. This was her usual way of behaving and was one of the many reasons she was paired with the squad captain. She was kind and sympathetic, like a big sister to the group.

"We would've been lost without you though, it's a strange feeling being so close to real klaxosaurs like that, i don't know if I'll ever get used to it. You guys really are great leaders." Kazuo chimed in.

"Well to be fair, we have been here a lot longer than most, so it'd only make sense that we'd fit the roll." Kana chuckled. "How long has it been now Gen? A little over a year?" The young man nodded, not turning to face his partner.

"Wow, you guys really have been here a while. Since you've been here the longest it makes sense that you'd be the leaders of our squad." At the mention of this Gen tenses up, scowling and quickening his pace to distance himself from the group.

"Actually we're not the ones who've been here the longest. That'd be Jin." Kana says, looking over her shoulder. Jin walked at the rear of the group a few paces behind the rest, once more off in his own world ignoring the idle chat. "None of us know exactly how long he's been here, though I've overheard some of the adults talking about him. By the sounds of it he's been here close to three years."

"He's been fighting for three years on the front lines?!" Ikumi gasps, turning to steal a look at the young parasite. "I've never heard of a parasite who's ever been here that long."

"Give it time, and soon I'm sure we'll all fit in that category." Kazuo adds confidently as the rest of the group smiles in agreement.

* * *

After arriving back at the boarding house the teams break off into groups of girls and boys to get ready for bed. The boys retire to the lounge to wait to use the baths, allowing the girls to take the first turn.

"Has anyone seen Jin? I thought he was just with us." Kazuo questions, taking a seat on one of the sofas.

"Don't worry about him, he always skulks off on his own before bed, where to I couldn't say." Hiraki scoffs, taking a seat at his side.

"He does this most nights, I wonder why. We should probably see if he's okay..." Daisuke speaks up as he sits down on the floor, resting his back against the wall. He had been Jin's roommate for just around 6 months now and hadn't once seen him come to bed. This nightly outing was something of a ritual of his, but that didn't make him worry any less.

"Forget about it Dai," Gen snaps, "He's been like this ever since I first got here and there has never been a problem. It's just cause he's not like us."

"What do you mean? He's a member of our squad isn't he?"

"Yea but regardless. How many parasites do you know who are given a special Franxx to pilot? How many do you know who dress the way he does? It's like the adults just give him free reign of things and let him do as he pleases. If we start worrying about him like he's one of us it's only going to get us killed."

The group fell silent. The outburst from Gen wasn't completely out of no wheres, after all there had always been animosity between the two. As for why, neither would ever say anything about it. He was right though, Jin was different from the rest of the squad. He was given a unique FranXX directly from APE. A custom special forces FranXX designed for the use of the nines, APE's personal elite force. This FranXX was known as the M9 variant, renamed to the M3 variant once assigned to Jin. This model bore no facial features whatsoever, save for two small slits where it's eyes would normally be. It's design was more slender and lithe than the others to adapt to its use at higher speeds, and it carried a magmatic spear, similar to the standard issue FranXX, but with a longer blade. However it differed from the FranXX used by the nines in that it's spear possessed a reinforced tow cable connected to the waist of the mech. Should the user decide to throw the spear it could be easily withdrawn. It was also painted similarly to the way its stamen dressed. Instead of its typical shining white and red, the mech was finished with black paint from top to bottom, causing it fit in more amongst the squads units better, though it didn't do much to that effect.

"Still..." Kazuo speaks up, smiling softly to himself. "I'm glad he's with us. I can't count the amount of times he's saved Ikumi and me, and we've only been here a little while. Even if he is a little different I think it'd be good if we could get along with him."

"You're welcome to try, but just remember this," Gen responds softly, looking out the window at the expansive night sky. "He's likely been here for years already. We're not his first squad mates and we won't be his last. He's used to this, so one day when we die, he'll forget all about us. He won't even notice we're gone..."

The room quiets once more. It's something every parasite is taught to expect, an inescapable reality, even more so for those on the front lines, but not one anyone is ever prepared to consider. They were all prepared to fight the klaxosaurs with everything they had. 'Turn your life into a blaze of glory, and shed every last drop of blood you have! For the sake of humanity!' Papa said in the videos. However just being aware of what awaited them, didn't make it any easier to face.

* * *

"I really love this, it's the best part of the day!" Mai hums, slowly lowering herself into the bath.

"I know what you mean. The baths here are so much cozier than the showers at the Garden." Aki beams, resting her head on the edge of the floor as the others settled in as well.

The baths in the boarding house were the same as the standard design for most plantations, one small in ground bath in the center of the room and a wall of showers. The room was separated from the rest of the house by a small changing room filled with shelves to store clothing. The baths in the majority of cases are used for exactly what you'd expect, washing up and then bed. However to a front line squad they were an invaluable commodity when it came to resting their aching bodies after a full day of fighting. On the front lines their were many differences to the standard fair of piloting, one of which being the constant connection. While most squads remained on stand by until required to defend the plantation from any oncoming assault by the klaxosaurs, their job was to sortie first thing in the morning, taking the fight to the monsters until late hours of the afternoon, refuelling as needed. Though the battles raged on, that wasn't to say either side was breaking any new ground. It had been years since the first pilots set foot on the front lines, and to this day it has remained a stalemate with no gain. Whenever humanity claimed victory and pushed forward, their forces were crushed some wheres else, and the balance of power rested level again.

As the night progressed the girls had slowly began to finish up. After quickly rinsing her self off at one of the showers, Kana turned to the bath where the remainder of the girls sat, soaking.

"So, I've never really asked, Asumi, but seeing as we've got a newbie around it seems like the perfect time; Whats it like piloting with the infamous 'Jin'?" She giggled. All the girls turning to follow her gaze, eagerly awaiting the response.

"Oh, well..." She blushed, sinking further into the water. As was typical of the pistils who were assigned to pilot with Jin she carried popularity amongst the rest of the parasites. Though it was to be expected it still took her by surprise whenever she was put in situations like this. "It's hard to say exactly, since I only ever did my initial testing with someone other than him. I guess you could say it's tiring, and a little embarrassing."

"How so? I thought it'd be exciting to pilot in a FranXX like that." Aki spoke up, giving her a reassuring smile that urged her to continue.

"It is, it's just... Typically, as pistils, it's our jobs to connect to the FranXX and pilot with the assistance of our stamen taking the controls, right?" The girls nodded. This was how the typical pilot teams worked after all, which is why they had been designed to be operated in pairs. "Well with him it's different. He takes the entirety of the controls. It feels a little like you're a puppet, dangling from strings you can't quite see. At first it was a scary feeling to be so helpless and at the mercy of someone else. After a while though I started trusting him with the job, and it seems to be what he's most comfortable with too. Though it makes me feel a bit useless that all I really have to do is focus on connecting with him, which isn't all that easy either..."

She was right. Not many could connect with Jin, and those who did only ever managed a paracapacity of around seventy-five, just above the minimum required for the activation of a FranXX. It was an extremely taxing job, and one of the reasons he was given the unique mech to pilot. Unlike standard issue models, theirs was unequipped of all typical safety equipment used to prevent anyone from being overwhelmed by their partners during a connection and being harmed, both physically and mentally.

"I'd hardly call you useless, you've got one of the hardest jobs of all of us. I doubt I'd be able to make a connection with someone who's barely even human." Mai teased, pulling herself from the bath. The others rolled their eyes and smiled at this. He certainly was... different.

"Is it true what they say about him then?" Ikumi asked softly, staring at Asumi, eyes full of wonder. "That he's some sort of special soldier created by Papa?" Seeing Asumi's clear discomfort at the question, Kana stepped in to her rescue.

"Nah, as far as he's ever told me in the few times we've talked, he grew up in the Garden the same as we did. Some of the rumours are true though I suppose." She said with a sly grin.

"Like what?"

"Like how he's not the squad captain by choice. He's turned down the position every time they've offered it to him. That the adults watch him very closely and give him special missions from time to time. And the rumour about his code number... that's true as well from what I've heard."

"What rumour about his code number?.." Ikumi whispers, excitedly waiting for the answer.

"The rumour that in the entire history of the parasites, he's the only one...

To ever have his changed. _"_

* * *

Jin yawned, resting his hands behind his head as he walked. The birdcage's forest really is beautiful at night, he thought to himself as he continued on through the trees. This was the time he took to himself every night just before bed, time to clear his head and appreciate and take note of his surroundings, if only for a short while. He continued on slowly, taking his time and breathing deeply. This had been just a little more than two and a half years since he'd initially arrived at plantation 75 when he was reassigned to the front lines. His surroundings always changed, new squad members, new partners, new orders and new missions. The forest and his nightly walks were the only thing he counted on remaining the same. After around 15 minutes the sound of wind blowing hard against glass like a blustering storm grew louder and louder, he was close. Moments later he emerged on the other side of the trees, standing just a short distance away from the edge of the glass dome of the birdcage. Outside nothing moved for as far as the eye could see, save for the clouds. It was peaceful, and belied the truth of what was outside the walls of their home; Chaos, though he didn't really mind. He had no misconceptions about what the front lines were, yet he still requested his transfer here.

As the moon rose in the sky the gusting wind had grown hushed, leaving only the gentle sounds of night life to sing in the air. Jin lowered himself to the ground, resting his back against a nearby tree with a sigh. Gazing out over the edge of the plateau, he let his mind wander.

 _How have you been lately?..._

 _Have your fights gone well, or have you been hurt?..._

 _What do you think of the sky tonight? Personally i really like the way the stars glisten..._

 _Have you seen anything beautiful on your missions?..._

 _Am I ready now do you think? Would I be of any use to you?..._

 _If you saw me now, would you recognize me?..._

 _Do you think about me at all anymore?..._

"Find what you're looking for yet?" A soft voice called out behind him.

He leaned back and turned to see Asumi, just leaving the tree line. She had always come to find him if he'd stayed out to late, worrying about him more than he thought necessary, though it'd be a lie to say it didn't make him happy. Most people avoided him due to the way everyone regarded him, calling him a genius, a prodigy, a true reflection of what all parasites should be. A 'Hero'. He despised that word, just thinking about the way the adults gawked and fawned over him while spouting nonsense like that made his skin burn. She never treated him differently though, even though she did believe he was special she always made sure to behave as though he was just another team member around him. She had been a thoughtful and compassionate partner since the moment they'd met, the first person to ever make him feel less alone since he'd arrived here.

"Nah. The view's still nice though." He replied, giving her a small smile.

"You're right." She sat beside him. She was dressed in her sleeveless night gown, draped in one of the blankets from the lounge, her short chestnut coloured hair still damp from the baths. "Thanks for looking out for me again today."

"You really don't give yourself enough credit. Connecting to a unrestricted FranXX for an entire day is really impressive. Even if you don't think so, I'd say you're pretty amazing." He shook his head as he rested back against the tree.

"I wish my numbers were higher though, then maybe you'd be able to move a bit easier."

"Eh, numbers don't really matter. Just as long as you're there looking after me, I'll manage every time."

' _I wish she'd stop thinking like this.'_ He thought to himself. Asumi always put herself down when it came to their partnership. No matter what he said or did she always viewed herself as some sort of circumstantial burden to him.

"So stop worrying about it. We're partners, I'd tell you if I needed more help you know. You're the best partner anyone could ask for just the way you are." He finished, resting a hand on her shoulder.

She'd blushed as a small smile broke her gloomy expression, gently leaning against him. The pair sat quietly for a while, watching the moon glide through the sky, not speaking another word.

"We should get back, we have an early morning again tomorrow after all." Asumi said, finally standing up as she held out a hand for Jin. After taking it, she helped him to his feet, still holding his hand. "You know..." She began, gripping tighter. "You come out here every night, and never really say much to any of the others, and you're always lost in thought... If there's something on your mind, or you ever need to just talk, you can always come to me." She looked up, her piercing emerald green eyes meeting his.

"I know. If something ever comes up you'll be the first to know." He laughs, giving her a soft hug. "I'll be back in a few minutes, you go on ahead and get some rest."

She gave him one last smile before turning and beginning the walk back to the house, leaving him there at the edge of the dome. As he watched her leave his smile slowly faded, his eyes softening as a small frown touched his face.

 _I'm sorry..._

* * *

Closing the door behind him silently, Jin turned to face the large empty foyer of the boarding house. Quietly climbing the stairs to the landing he mulled over his conversation with Asumi. He'd wanted to talk to her about what he was feeling but he could hardly even consider it himself, he'd spent so long consumed by his missions that he'd never really had a chance to think about what he'd planned to do with the remainder of his life. He couldn't stand the thought of abandoning his partner, but he couldn't stay here forever either. There were things he needed to do, promises he had to make good on.

Eventually he reached the entrance of his bedroom. Drawing a deep breath he cracked the door, taking care not to wake Daisuke. A sigh of relief crept its way out as he slid in unnoticed. After shutting the door behind him he lowered himself onto his bed, checking once more to be sure that Dai was still asleep in the bottom bunk of the adjacent bed. The house was silent, drenched in a stillness Jin had never grown used to. After days filled with constant engagement, the eerie quiet that came at this time was deafening, drilling its way into his mind. He'd lie awake most nights listening to the sound of his own breathing, expecting at any moment for it to be drowned out by the deafening cries of the klaxosaurs swirling together with the sounds of tearing metal and the ringing of cannon fire. Though it never came he could never rest easy like the others, lying alert until exhaustion finally broke him down. After quickly undressing he fell into his sheets, the weight of his body pulling him into the mattress, thoughts of the past swimming through his tired mind as he lost consciousness.

* * *

 _"It certainly has been a long time, hasn't it Code 872." Papa spoke. The dimly lit room surrounded in monitors displaying the images of the various members of APE. Jin stood at the center of the room, hands resting behind his back as he stood at attention. "You've shattered our expectations and out performed what we'd ever thought you capable of."_

 _"Thank you, Papa." Jin spoke quietly, eyes fixed on the monitor in front of him, staring ahead absent mindedly._

 _"Your request to be transferred to the front, rather than sent back to the Garden has bore more results than we could have hoped. This test has proven more than worth while." The vice president continued on. "An event such as this is an unprecedented anomaly, and requires unprecedented actions."_

 _"We have decided that a parasite of your current abilities is done an injustice by being referred to by a code that signifies a level of potential that is far beneath what you have achieved. Our conclusion is that you will receive a new designation as of today." Papa finishes. After a small tone sounds, a new display illuminates itself on the tactical monitor just to Jin's left, depicting three digits._

 _"You truly are the strongest of all the parasites, a worthy backup plan to be sure. We expect even more great things from you, and look forward to seeing what you will accomplish. May you bring victory to humanity..._

 _**Code 003**."_


	2. Chapter 2: Stampede

**Chapter 2: Stampede**

The sounds of metal crashing against metal resounded across the desert, mingling with the cry of numerous Klaxosaurs. The parasites of plantation 75 had been fighting into the early afternoon, the early stages of fatigue just now beginning to set in.

"This is ridiculous, why are there so many this morning?!" Team Three's FranXX cried out, plunging its magma spear into a charging Conrad class.

"Command warned us that today would likely be more chaotic. That's why they sent Team Five to a separate location further down the line!" Team One's FranXX responded. "Just stick together and watch each other's backs and we'll make it out fine."

The battle had been steadily advancing in Squad 75's favor, slowly the klaxosaurs numbers had been thinning. Though they didn't fight with the same uniformity of other trained squads they were just as effective, using a more aggressive and individual style of fighting unique to the front line soldiers, while maintaining a close proximity to each other to allow for easy reinforcement should any team need it. Though they had numbers on their side, the klaxosaurs didn't posses much quality this time around, only attacking with numerous Conrads and a handful of Moho class as well.

"Team Two you're out of position, fall back to the group." Gen warned over the comms

"We're fine, we can handle this!" Kazuo replied as his monitor displayed another explosion of blue liquid. "Small fry like this are no challenge at all!"

"You're getting too worked up you two, fall back before they have a chance to cut you off." Daisuke grunted as his teams FranXX struggled against the weight of a clashing Moho. "Team Three watch behind you!"

After quickly spinning to skewer an oncoming Conrad, Team Three looked back just in time to see the fate of Team Two. Numerous Conrad class washed in behind the leading FranXX like rushing water, leaving them isolated and facing insurmountable odds. The remainder of Squad 75 threw themselves against the newly developed wall, desperately trying to create a route for their allies to retreat through as the comms suddenly crackled to life, relaying the commanders voice.

"Squad 75, M3 is on route, hold out for as long as you can." Though his words fell on deaf ears, the entirety of the squad were calling out movements of the enemy, desperately trying to reach their teammates and keep each other alive.

"Where did they all come from?!" Kazuo cried, his voice trembling with fear as a large arachnid formed Moho bore down on them, lashing out with two of its bladed appendages. As the attack caught the guarding FranXX on both shoulders it's pistil screamed a mix of agony and terror so loud it nearly drowned out the sounds of metal being wrenched apart, and the klaxosaur's own screams as its core was shattered. The battle field fell silent as the pilots of Squad 75 looked on in disbelief, the attacking Moho had been run through and pinned to the desert floor by a long jet black spear. The newfound silence was quickly replaced by the roar of a FranXX's thrusters and sudden displacement of air. A tall mech matching the color of it's spear slammed onto the dirt just as the klaxosaur's body exploded into a mess of blue liquid, marring the sight of the newly arrived unit. In one fluid motion it hauled the spear from the ground and pivoted, cleaving the surrounding attackers. Team Two cried out as their FranXX was thrown to the ground by the sudden force of the impact. Continuing its assault the slender mech gripped it's spear with one hand before hurling it towards the remainder of Squad 75, catching a Conrad class through the core mid leap, just before it made contact with Team One's FranXX, it's intended prey. As the creature ruptured into a mass of blue blood the FranXX gripped the cable attached to the butt of the spear and dragged it back through the air, catching it effortlessly with it's right hand.

"Are you alright?" Jin's voice cut the silence that had come over squad as the newly arrived FranXX held out it's free hand to the fallen Team Two.

"We are now, thank you. Thank you so much!" Ikumi sobbed, taking the out stretched hand. After they'd been helped to their feet the two marveled at the sight before them. In mere moments Team Five had swept away the oncoming assault, killing nearly a dozen klaxosaurs. Their FranXX seemed relatively untouched save for the heavy staining of klaxosaur blood that coated the majority of the mech; however, the decal adorning its left shoulder remained visible, the white 'M3'. "How are you and Asumi holding up?" she continued after regaining her composure.

"We're alright, you should get back to the others while you still have the opening." Asumi replied, panting heavily. After a quick, nervous nod, Team Two retreated back to the others. As sounds of the other members scolding the returning FranXX sounded over the comms and the fighting resumed Jin removed a hand from the pistil's waist control, resting it on Asumi's shoulder. "Are you good to keep going?" He spoke softly.

"Yea," she replied, turning to face him. Sweat poured down her forehead and cheeks, her entire body quivered from the exhaustion she was dealing with but her ever present smile never left her face. "Let's go!"

After a slight nod he returned his hand to the controls and smiled in return. "Alright, let's make this quick then." Just as the words left his mouth the comms lit up again, identifying the commander as the new speaker.

"All units, clear the vicinity of all remaining targets and return to the plantation, do not proceed any further today."

* * *

After returning, squad 75 had been told to return to the boarding house, eat, and await instruction from the plantation's parasite care taker. The group fell into the chairs around the dinning room tables upon arrival and heaved a sigh of relief before beginning to load up their plates with the assorted foods already laid out for them.

"Good work today you guy's. It was a hard fight, not many people would have been able to make it back from something like that." Kana spoke up, breaking the silence. It didn't help much to break the tension in the room though. Near death experiences were common, but the one today was far too close to leave anyone in a good mood.

"She's right. We should all be proud of how today ended up!" Asumi chimed in, her face still red and hair damp with perspiration.

"Oh yea, especially our two heros. They really put in a good effort out there." Hiraki snapped back, glaring at Kazuo who sat opposite from him at the boys table.

"You could have gotten yourselves killed, idiots." Mai joined in, tears welling up in the corners of her eyes as she mimicked Hiraki, shooting a glare at Team Two's pistil who had began quietly sobbing.

"And yet they didn't, and neither did any of us." Daisuke shot back

"He's right, they'll learn better from this experience than they ever would have from us trying to warn them anyways." Jin added. The parasites all turned to face him, it wasn't often he ever spoke when the rest of them did after all. "And besides, it wasn't to long ago that you two 'elites' got ahead of yourselves and got your spear caught after missing a pretty ambitious lunge."

The two members of Team Three's mouths dropped as their faces flushed with red. The other members of Squad 75 erupted with laughter before Team Three finally broke down and joined in as well, even Gen let a smile crack his stoic face. After the laughter had died down the parasites fell into casual conversation as they finished their meal.

"I always forget that even you know how to make jokes." Dai teased, prodding Jin with his elbow.

Jin flashed a smile as he continued working over his lunch, dipping his bread in a small section of honey. As he chewed on it absent mindedly he was addressed again.

"Why do you like that anyways?" Hiraki gestured towards the honey soaked bread in his hand. "Isn't it too sweet?"

"Nah, honestly I just prefer sweet things. It's a habit at this point I suppose." Jin shrugged before falling silent and staring out the window. The rest of the boys knew this posture of his was a sign he'd had no interest in continuing any conversation. ' _Well, it was nice while it lasted'_ Daisuke thought, sighing softly.

A moment later the sound of the front doors opening, and the clicking of heels on the wooden floor filled the air. Just then a tall woman with long, wavy, dark purple hair rounded the corner into the dining room.

"Misa!" The majority of the parasites exclaimed. She was the plantations new caretaker, only just recently assigned to the location after the previous caretaker had been sent back to the Garden to assist with training.

"Good afternoon children, I'm so glad to see you all made it back safely." She smiled warmly addressing the room.

"It was all thanks to Asumi and Jin really." Aki giggled, rubbing the back of her head as the others took on the same mildly embarrassed expression as her.

Misa smiled towards Asumi before glancing briefly towards Jin, who was still staring off into space. After a short look of concern crossed her face she returned to her usual cheery demeanor, addressing the room once more.

"I've come to inform you that you were recalled early today because Papa has decided to honor you for your service. After all you are one of the highest performing squads in humanity's forces. You should all be very proud of yourselves." She beamed, clapping her hands together. "I would like you to all clean up and dress in your formal attire, the ceremony will start at 1400 hours."

As she turned to leave the children all turned to one another excitedly. Papa wanted to honor them at a ceremony? They'd never had the chance to see Papa or hear him speak, after all front line plantations never had start up ceremonies as most members arrived at separate times, filling empty positions as needed. The only time most of them had ever heard Papa was during the video that played during their graduation from the Garden. As the others celebrated amongst themselves Jin's eyes narrowed as he began to chew on his tongue.

 _Another one?..._

* * *

"How're you feeling? You didn't look so good when we were changing out of out pistil suits earlier." Kana said, pulling up her skirt as she glanced at Asumi over her shoulder.

"I'm fine now." She replied with a embarrassed smile, zipping up her top. "I was just pretty exhausted is all. We had to push pretty hard to finish up and return to the group as fast as we could. I'm more used to the pace we take when we're fighting alongside everyone is all. With the way these fights have been going though I imagine it'll be like this more and more..." She sighed, fidgeting her hands together nervously.

"I'm sure Jin will look after you though, he always has. You'll be fine." Kana rested a hand on Asumi's shoulder as she tried to reassure her.

"I know, and that's honestly kind of the problem... I'm really just holding him back. If it weren't for the fact that the FranXX have to be piloted with a pistil I'm sure he'd be better off without me..."

"I doubt he thinks that way. He cares about you, we all do. You're an important member of our team. You'll figure something out, besides, we'll do our best to lessen your load."

Kana returned to dressing, but just as she was finishing with the final touches of her uniform Asumi spoke up once more.

"I've been thinking about asking to receive an Elixir injection."

Kana turned to face her with horror in her eyes. An Elixir injection was a procedure that younger parasites could take to have their yellow blood cell count increased in order to raise their aptitude scores. She was trying to raise her numbers with Jin through such an extreme method?

"You can't be serious. Do you have any idea how many children left to get those injections and never came back when I was in the Garden?!" Kana cried. "There's only about a fifteen percent chance you'll survive the procedure and even then it doesn't guarantee that your numbers will go up any higher than they already are!"

"I know that, but I'm his partner. If I'm going to call myself that then I have to do everything in my power to help him out, even if it's risky."

"You haven't already arranged to get one, have you?" Kana whispered, not wanting the others to over hear. They'd only worry if they knew.

"No, not yet. I was going to talk to Jin first..."

"Good, you shouldn't go through with it though. It's far too big of a risk." Kana finished, straightening Asumi's uniform before taking her hand and leading her out of the room towards the main foyer.

"Yea..."

* * *

The amphitheater rang with thunderous applause as the children of the plantation began to march down the pathway following a grand procession of plantation security. The teams walked in formation; The two squad Captains walking at the head of the group, hands held together by small rings bound to one another worn on their little fingers. Behind them walked Teams Two and Three and behind them, Teams Four and Five. The children all wore their assigned dress attire, consisting their typical clothing as well as a decorative white shoulder cape and a matching beret. Jin was assigned to wear different dress clothes as per usual. His uniform remained mostly the same as well, but his shorts were swapped out for dress pants of the same color, a matching watch coat draped over his shoulders decorated with buttons, an inner lining and band around the right arm, all colored in a brilliant snowy white, and a black service cap, detailed with a similarly white trim.

After the children reached the end of the path they fanned out to stand side by side in their respective groups, the Captains in the center, Teams Two and Four now to their left, and Teams Three and Five to their right. The theater was filled from end to end with the adults of plantation 75, watching from their seats high above, and in the middle of the arena was a platform, there sat a row of masked men, with one more seated above them at the rear; Papa, and the members of APE. As the applause died down the children took in the magnitude of the event taking place. All the adults were here to see them, APE was hear to see them. **Papa** , was here to see them. Unable to contain their joy, smiles broke out across the faces of the children.

"My children!" Papa's voice boomed throughout the theater. "You have accomplished great things in service to this plantation. In service to us all. I would like to personally congratulate each and everyone of you, for standing as the stalwart protectors of our world, against the most fearsome enemy we have ever known. May you burn with the light of the sun itself as you forge on, knowing that we all thank you for your service, that we all believe in you! May you continue to give everything you have, every last bit of yourselves, in service to humanity!"

As he paused, the stadium broke out into applause once more; everyone, including the security staff and even the plantation officials joining in this time. This was their moment, they'd earned it. Papa acknowledged them and even gave them his congratulation. The children were so over whelmed with emotions they couldn't stop from laughing in disbelief as they began to wave, Team Two even began to cry tears of joy at the praise they'd received. Then Papa began again.

"However, there is one more we must thank today." With the dramatic flare of an experienced showman, he raised his hands slowly, palms facing the sky, to point towards the pair at the end, Team Five. "Code 003, your record is one of unparalleled accomplishment. You surpass the expectations set upon any parasite, and have gone above and beyond the call of duty in your years of tireless service. You alone stand atop all the rest, an example to all. You truly have earned the code number you bear, for you are the shining beacon of humanity's hope!"

Once more applause exploded throughout as all eyes fell on the young stamen. His squad mates merely looked on in amazement, he had just been personally praised by papa himself! However, as the ovation continued on there were three who did not share the sentiments of the rest. Gen, who struggled to contain his seething frustration at the praise given to his squads designated freak. Jin, who simply looked on, a calm and relaxed expression upon his face, and Asumi, who both winced in pain, and glanced down in concern, as Jin's hand gripped hers so tightly his knuckles were flushed white.

* * *

As the children returned to the boarding house, Jin broke away from the group, storming off into the surrounding forest.

 _How could he do that?!_

 _That moment meant everything to to them. The fact you were acknowledging them meant everything to them!_

 _For what possible reason did you have to go off, spouting ridiculousness like "Humanity's shining beacon of hope"!_

As he stewed over those thoughts he broke free of the trees into a small clearing just before the edge of the birdcage. The clearing was immaculate, no twigs, no leaves, nothing. It has been kept spotless over its entire surface. At it's edge however, just before the tree line, sat rows of small piles of stone, neatly stacked and placed roughly three feet apart from one another, lined out twelve groups wide and two long. After a few steps he sat down in front of the collection and furiously ground his palms against his temples.

 _What did I ever do any different than any of them? Than any of you!_

 _Why do I get treated like this? Just because I learned a little more? Lived a little longer?_

 _Why does everyone act like none of you matter at all..._

"Is everything alright?" A soft voice whimpered behind him.

"I'm fine." He let out a sigh as he relaxed his posture, resting his hands in his lap. "I just wish he hadn't done that. He didn't need to, and all it did was take away from your moment."

"Our moment?" Asumi questioned as she sat down beside him. "We're a team Jin, that moment was all of ours. And so what if Papa focused on you at the end? We were all proud then, because you're one of us!" She smiled, gently brushing his dishevelled hair back into place.

"I'm sure Gen would disagree..."

"Kana will deal with him, she always does. He just gets competitive when it comes to you. So don't think anything of it, okay?" After a reluctant nod from her partner she glanced around the clearing in confusion, taking in the unnatural sight. "Did you do all of this?" Another nod. "What is it?"

"When I first arrived here I had an amazing Squad Leader. He was kind, strong, and always looked out more for others than himself. He looked after me, and taught me a lot of what I know about how to pilot. As you'd expect, one day he didn't make it back. It was the first time I'd ever experienced death, and while the others moved on, I- I just fell apart." He spoke in a soft voice that drew her to hang on his every word, her face awash with concern and empathetic pain. "In trying to forget I came across a book in the library in which others had lost people they'd cared about too. In that book they performed a 'burial' they called it, where all the attendants dressed in black to signify their mourning at the loss of the person they cared for. They are then left in a 'cemetery', a place decorated with a stone for each person there, where you can go to remember them, or speak to them if you want." As he finished, Asumi's eyes widened as she took in everything that he'd said.

"So then, your clothes..."

"I asked Papa for them after I learned of their significance from that book. I'm sure he'd rather I dress like everyone else but as long as I perform the way that I have, he doesn't really concern himself too much with me or what I do during our down time."

"And this place, the stones..."

"I couldn't bury them, after all I didn't have their bodies. So instead I take the stones I find lying around and do the best that I can. They deserve to be remembered, each one of them were amazing people, and if everyone else will eventually move on, then I'll remember for them."

The two sat in silence as they looked over the twenty four sets of stones before them. Asumi had never imagined that he even remembered one of his former squad mates, let alone every single one. He even bore such a tremendous sentiment towards them all, enough to both create and maintain this place.

"You really are a kind and caring person, aren't you." She spoke softly as she turned to face him.

"Am I different somehow? Everyone always praises me and keeps me on some sort of pedestal. What have I ever done more than any of you?" He turned to meet her eyes with tears in his own. "All of you fight with everything you have. You give your all to ensure each others safety. You always perform your duty and sortie every day without hesitation. Why am I considered special? Just because I've been lucky enough to live this long?"

"You **Are** special, but that's nothing to be ashamed of Jin." She cooed, pulling his head into her chest, gently stroking his hair as tears ran down his face. "You look after me, even though I have a hard time keeping up with you you always make sure to wait for me, even if it's more work for you, and I'll always be grateful to have you as my partner. I doubt I'd even still be here without you." After a brief pause, she began again. "You spend every night, remembering someone important to you, don't you?" His eyes widened in disbelief, his body tensing as his breath caught in his throat. He attempted to lean back and speak up but she interrupted his movement, holding him against her. "I've known for a long time that's what you do at night, though I couldn't begin to imagine who it is. You spend every evening looking out into the distance, like you can see something no one else can. The way you focus on it and never look away shows just how much this person means to you, and the fact that you can remember someone so fondly, despite the time that's passed goes to show just how truly caring of a person you really are. For that alone, even if no one thought you were, you'd still be special to me."

She leaned down and planted a gentle kiss on his cheek. Jin finally sat up, staring into her eyes in amazement at the things she'd just said to him. She really thought that of him? She returned his stare with a soft smile adorning her face. After a long pause he finally began to speak up again.

"I'm glad I got to meet yo-" Before he could finish, his voice was cut of by the harsh resounding cry of an air raid siren accompanied by the voice of a command official.

 **"Attention, all members of Squad 75 report to the hanger. Two Gutenberg class klaxosaurs are on approach to the plantation. I repeat, two Gutenberg class klaxosaurs are on approach to the plantation."**

* * *

As the five teams rushed off into the distance towards the enemy they couldn't help but succumb to the numerous thoughts running through their minds. How did two Gutenberg class klaxosaurs just show up out of no wheres? Why didn't any of their equipment pick them up earlier? How would they stop them before they reached the plantation? These thoughts were pushed aside as the voice of the commander cut through on the comms.

"We've identified numerous Conrad class moving with the two Gutenbergs as well, this will be difficult. They need to be stopped now before they can gain anymore ground on us. Teams One through Four, focus on taking out the Conrad class, Team Five, take down the Gutenberg Class."

"Right!" The squad replied in unison.

After a few more moments, the four standard issue FranXX collided with the first wave of klaxosaurs, maintaining a steady line to stop any from breaking past. As soon as the engagement began, M3 stopped in it's tracks a few hundred meters behind, gauging the oncoming enemy. Both Gutenberg class were extremely similar in size and shape. Both were tall, lanky, and humanoid, with exaggerated length to their arms, and club like endings where hands would be.

"We're lucky, they're thin. The cores should be relatively easy to hit with little to no armor. The right first. Ready?" Jin questioned.

"Yea, let's go." Asumi replied, drawing harsh and quick breaths, her body already shaking from the stress as the display began to signal a fluctuation in her paracapacity readings.

A moment later, M3 crouched close to the ground before launching into the air. Its thrusters engaged, sending it directly towards the first klaxosaur. The klaxosaur raised its arm to impact the mech but was just as slow as it looked, with a rapid motion M3 planted its hand on the wrist of the creature and vaulted over the blow. At the final moment it lunged forwards with it's spear forwards as the thrusters engaged to their maximum force, piercing straight through the enormous monster and landing directly behind the mass of klaxosaurs. As the creature exploded M3 flicked its wrist, removing the core from the tip of it's spear before assuming it's original launch position again. Jin gritted his teeth at the sight of his partner before him, concern washing over his mind.

"One more time Asumi, then we can leave it to the others. Hang in there." At this point she was unable to muster a response, using every ounce of her strength just to stay conscious. With that, M3 once more propelled itself into the air and towards the rear of the remaining Gutenberg. The thrusters engaged, it once more plunged its spear into the body of the creature, the sound of tearing metal and squishing of fluid ringing throughout the cockpit. The force of the blow had driven the klaxosaur to the ground, crushing the nearby Conrad class beneath it's weight, but there had been no impact. They hadn't hit the core. Upon realizing this Jin attempted to force the spear deeper but to no avail, M3 wasn't responding. He sat back as the displays began to disengage as a voice called out over the comms.

"Code 260 paracapacity has dropped below minimum levels. Code 003 what's going on!? Code 003!?"

Jin looked down to see Asumi collapsed over the pistil terminal, heaving and shaking violently, her skin had lost all color. Just as he'd reached for her to be sure she was okay, a tremendous impact threw both of them against the wall, before everything went dark.

* * *

The ringing in his ears was deafening, but nothing compared to the throbbing pain in his head, but he could barely make out the words being shouted over the channel. As he blinked, refocusing his vision he began to take note.

"It hit them! The Gutenberg class struck Team Five, M3 is incapacitated. Teams Three and Four, with me, we'll hold the remaining enemies off, Team Two attempt to reach M3!"

 _'So that's what happened.'_ He thought to himself, rubbing his forehead gently. After a brief moment of panic he quickly scanned the darkened cockpit before finding Asumi, lying against the wall, softly crying to herself.

"I- I'm sorry. I'm so, so, sorry." She whimpered, eyes filled with tears as she stared back at Jin.

"If I wasn't your partner... If it was somebody else..." She choked out the words as he crawled towards her.

"Don't worry about that, are you okay?" Nod. "Are you able to move?"

"I- I think so..."

"Then we have to get back out there and help the others." The sobbing began to increase in volume as she covered her face.

"I can't! I can't fight with you! If I try I'll just end up slowing you down and getting you killed!"

"If we don't get up, we'll **all** be killed. We have to go Asumi."

"I... can't..." She returned to quiet whimpering.

"Then if you won't fight with me, I'll go alone." He sighed, slowly lifting himself off the ground. After steadying himself he began to limp towards the controls once more, which were now on the wall as the FranXX had seemingly landed on its side.

"What are you..." Asumi questioned, sniffling as she moved her hands away from her face. Jin reached a hand above his head and gripped the edge of the pistil terminal, pulling himself up and throwing his leg over the side. "No! You can't! It'll kill you!" she screamed as she attempted to climb to her feet, with no success.

"Maybe, but if I don't try then we'll die for sure anyways, and I'd much rather try everything I can than give up halfway. Besides, there's still things I need to do, I can't roll over and die yet." He shot her a reassuring smile that pierced her core. Even in this dismal situation, when there was no hope left, as he was about to throw his life away, he could still conjure a smile, to attempt to save her heart in the end.

As she screamed, once more begging him to stop, Jin slid his arms and legs into the pistil terminal. He closed his eyes and drew one final breath before an excruciating, indescribable pain racked his entire body. His eyes felt as though they were melting in his skull. Every bone felt as though they would break under the weight of his body at any moment. His muscles burned with the feeling of being torn apart. The grinding oh his teeth to suppress the howls of agony that built in his lungs, and the wailing of the internal alarm, were the last things he experienced before everything went blank.

 **"Stampede mode: Activated."**


	3. Chapter 3: Wake up, dead man

**Chapter 3: Wake up, dead man**

"Marvellous..."

The Vice Chairman spoke quietly, almost to himself as the members of the Lamarck Club bore witness to the events replaying upon the central display. The feed stuttered and flickered erratically as numerous eruptions of viscous blue littered the landscape one after another as a slender animalistic figure tore its way towards the encroaching threat: the Gutenberg. After a brief moment the footage hesitated once more before a sudden skip, now presenting a new scene. The new figure was displayed once more, though it was now center stage. The vicious stampeding machine stood a top the now motionless form of the once imposing Klaxosaur, mouth agape as it roared towards the sky, before moments later freezing into that inert, unsettling position.

"How is something like that even possible? You'd stated that only the special specimen could pilot a FranXX in that condition, doctor." Lemur turned to the entry way to address the frail old man.

"This... This isn't like that. Code 002 is capable of reacting to commands and direction. This unit was acting purely upon a singular motivation, as though it was instinct driving it, rather than any actual thought." The doctor's one remaining brow furrowed as he stepped forward, taking in the image of the still machine.

"So, in layman's terms, this was an unconscious reaction? The desire to serve is so ingrained in the specimens nature he could act even when not in full control?" The Vice Chairman began again.

"To serve, or to fight?" Gorilla spoke up. "To blindly trust that he was following previous orders is a tremendous risk. This was Code 003, no? How can we be sure when he is surrounded by so many variables outside the norm of regular parasites. This experiment has become too much of a risk, it would be safest if he was eliminated as soon as possible."

"Indeed, many things about this specimen lead me to believe he is a potential risk. To think a stamen could even engage the stampede function on a FranXX... Should it even be possible?" Marmoset added, tilting her head in the direction of the doctor, intruding upon his thoughts.

"In theory... Though it is extremely unlikely. During the initial testing phases of the piloting mechanics for the FranXX we discovered the stampede mode to be possibility, and an interesting anomaly presented itself. Though the activation was found to be lethal to both genders, we found that it was particularly damaging towards the males. It is one of the reasons why all pistils are female, the strain placed upon them is roughly one third of what a stamen would endure should they connect to the machine."

"Then to come out of this event at all is a shocking turn of events. To endure three times the load and come out alive is one thing, but to complete the current mission and neutralize the approaching threat in such a state..."

After a momentary pause, Tarsier broke the silence.

"What's strange is the implication that everything we've strove for may be a hindrance after all. This whole time we've given the boy a dangerous amount of freedom, and in the end, rather than leading to issues, we've created a pilot that may be a viable second option for us. Perhaps we should allow for more parasites to act under similar conditions."

"Absolutely not, this has been nothing more than a coincidence and nothing more substantial than that. Our ways have been chosen because they are effective and efficient, emotions are purely detrimental and have lead to numerous instances of parasites wavering in their duties." Gorilla protested.

"Perhaps." Papa finally spoke. "However in our tests we have seen nothing but steady improvement from Code 003, an event that has never truly manifested in other subjects before. He has become a very useful tool for us, the question now is what is the variable that has made it so. There is a chance of an abnormality in his genetic composition, or maybe his environment on the front is responsible, though if I were to wager a guess it would be that it has something to do with her."

"The subject has shown on numerous occasions that she affects his decisions substantially. Though the chances of such being the catalyst of a change like his seems unlikely. Perhaps we shall learn more as Werner's new test team develops as well." At the mention of this, the old man grew interested once more in the train of conversation, turning his gaze towards the Vice Chairman at his words.

"Indeed. We will be granting your request, Werner. As of today, you will be allowed to oversee the progression of Plantation 13 as you see fit. Perhaps then we will gain more clarity in regards to Code 003 and the potential betterment of our forces, though the conditions of your test team will be subject to our intervention should it be deemed absolutely necessary."

A wide grin breached Werner's complexion, hidden beneath the metal bonds coating the majority of his face. After a short, wordless bow, the old man turned and exited the meeting room along with his entourage, leaving the members of the council alone.

"Now, the only remaining matter is the current condition of Code 003." Upon finishing, the Vice Chairman brought up a new display, featuring a variety of information. The most striking of which being the steadily pulsing line to the left of the monitor, and the accompanying phrase below.

 **Status: WIA (Unresponsive)**

* * *

The hall was cold and barren, walls colored a soft grey for as far as he could see in either direction, no breaks or deviation upon its surface. Jin held his hands out in front of him, turning them over slowly as he considered his surroundings. After a few moments in silence he sighed, running his fingers through his hair.

 _What happened?_

 _Where is this place, and why does everything feel so... distant... cold?_

 _Am I... Dead?_

"Please, you really think that you'd get off that easy?"

At the unexpected reply to his unspoken question Jin stumbled back as he turned to face the source of the sudden break in the deafening silence. A few feet away down the left of the hallway was a young parasite, close to himself in age. He easily stood shoulder to shoulder with Jin and wore his brown hair in a similar fashion as well, short on the sides and swept back on the top. He'd noticed the new arrival wore white shorts and a white shirt to match, but what struck him as odd was his lack of footwear. Jin could merely stand in mild shock as the boy began to approach him, his pale blue eyes filling him with a suffocating anxiety, however when the boy stopped a few feet before reaching him and spoke, it washed away.

"Nice look!" He scoffed, reaching out and rustling his hair. At the touch, Jin couldn't help but laugh, tears welling in the corners of his eyes. "You got taller."

"You're sure I'm not dead? Because I don't ever remember seeing ghosts before." Jin smiled sadly, wiping his eyes.

"Ouch, I didn't think I looked that bad, do I?"

"No worse than usual... It- It's good to see you Eiji..." He finished, wrapping his arms around the parasite. After a few moments the pair separated.

"So, where are we anyways?" Eiji spoke up.

"You mean you don't know?"

"Course not! This is all you, I'm just along for the ride is all." He finished with a grin, draping an arm over Jin's shoulders. "Well if you don't remember then we'll have to explore for a bit!"

Time seemed to merely list gently by as the pair walked, they could have been walking for hours and it wouldn't have made a difference. Thoughts raced through Jin's mind with each step they took. Why was this happening? If he wasn't dead than why was Eiji with him? And he still hadn't the slightest clue what it was they were seeing or where they were even supposed to be going. Just as the thought crossed his mind, the end of the hallway began to grow brighter, causing the white clad parasite to quicken his pace, almost dragging his companion along.

The two breached the light and found themselves standing in a small field of sorts, almost like an enclosed park. Large walls loomed above on all four sides but the sky remained visible as the sun beamed down on the clearing around them. Towards the center stood a small tree providing a small amount of shade, and on the opposite side of the enclosure stood a mirrored entrance, leading to what seemed to be another hall. The most noticeable change in the environment though, was the sudden presence of voices. Laughter and shouting filled the air, as Jin took in the surroundings he noted a group of children, kicking a ball to one another on the far side of the clearing.

As the two approached the group they began to pick out distinct features. White clothes, with matching white collars were worn by each of the children, along with orange numbers displayed on the backs of the neck pieces. They were parasites? Then this must be the Garden.

"So," Eiji glanced towards Jin, eyebrows raised with an air of questioning to his words. "The Garden. Any idea why we're seeing this? Doesn't seem like this is anything current, other wise..."

He leaned down ever so slightly, extending an arm out in front of a child, eagerly chasing after a ball. Just when the boy should have made contact however, he passed right through, continuing to play, unaware of the pairs presence. Eiji regained his position, resting his other hand against his arm, as though he was checking to be sure he really wasn't just an apparition, laughing to himself as he disproved the thought.

"No idea, I haven't been here since-" Before he could finish he was cut off by a loud cheering of the children. Turning to face the source of the commotion he couldn't help but feel his breath catch and eyes widen ever slightly at the sight. A young child with shaggy black hair came sprinting out of the entrance opposite to where they were standing, his dark brown eyes gleaming as he rushed towards the group of his peers.

"872!" They called, rushing to meet him halfway. As the group met him they began to frantically speak, falling into conversation with the newcomer as he smiled and merged with the group.

"That's your old identification, isn't it? You know, before you went and got yourself a fancy new one that is." Eiji teased, prodding Jin as his brows furrowed in contemplation.

"Yea... That-... It's definitely me."

"Really? Hard to believe that you even knew how to talk to people once, let alone had this many friends." He rolled his eyes before walking forwards towards the small group, beckoning Jin to follow.

Just before reaching the group, Jin felt a sudden tug on his arm. Looking up he noticed Eiji, staring off in the direction of the entryway. Following his gaze he noticed two masked adults; Caretakers. Individuals who oversaw every aspect of the children's lives, what was odd were the hushed tones they spoke to one another in. It was very uncommon for them to take on such a defensive posture, let alone around the children.

The pair reached the adults after a moment, who seemed just as oblivious to their presence as the children. As strange as it was it was seeming more and more likely that this was nothing more than a memory, but how? The closer they moved the easier it became to hear their conversation, a deep unease settling as the conversation became clear.

"It will be difficult to keep the children in line once the next shuttle arrives. They won't take the disposal of Code 872 well."

"Unimportant." The other began. "Code 872 has performed far bellow acceptable ratings time and time again and has shown no visible improvement. His physical exams have been reviewed as well and he is not permitted to undergo an elixir injection as his chances of survival are virtually non-existent. It would be a waste of time."

"Of course, we'll merely have to see that it is dealt with when the time comes. In the event that any of the children become to vocal about his removal, they'll be subject to the reconditioning process."

The pair stood in silence, Eiji's eyes drifting towards the ground as Jin merely sighed and scratched the back of his head. As Eiji looked up to speak he noticed an odd look in his friend's eyes, not one of sadness or discomfort, but anticipation. He knew what was coming next. He was remembering. As the thought crossed his mind he glanced back towards the children, taking note of the diminutive, black haired parasite staring back in their direction as a distorted and robotic voice silenced the two Caretakers.

"That won't be necessary." Dr. Franxx interjected. "I've made other arrangements for that boy. His social nature is very out of character for the children, and therefore interests me greatly. He'll be remaining here for a few more years. Once he reaches the minimum age required to withstand the rigors of piloting he will be coming with me." The old doctor turned his gaze towards the young parasite.

"I have a test I'd like to run that he would be perfect for. I'm curious to see the results."

Their surroundings became still, as though they were no longer in a memory, but rather in a picture, framed and motionless. Eiji turned to Jin, an inquisitive look in his eyes.

"Test?"

"It's a... very long story."

* * *

More time passed as the pair walked on in silence. Upon the doctors final words Jin had grown uneasy, beginning down the adjoining hallway, as though he had wanted to put as much space between him and the memory itself as possible. The air once more held only the sound of footsteps as they reverberated off the surrounding walls, punctuating the uncomfortable silence.

"You said it was a long story. You never mentioned it before, and it seems to me like we've got time."

"You've got time," Jin snapped back at the insinuation. "I can't stay here, wherever here is."

"Well you can't just leave so we might as well talk about it."

"What do you mean 'can't leave'? I thought you were just along for the ride, so why do you suddenly sound so sure?" He spoke as he turned and closed the distance between them, the irritation ringing clear in his voice.

Sighing in defeat, Eiji shrugged his shoulders and raised his head to meet his friends gaze.

"You can't leave because you're not actually here, neither am I. Right now all you can do is see what there is to see until you wake up."

"Wake up?"

"Like I said, you're not dead, otherwise you likely wouldn't be seeing anything at all, but you're not in good shape either. You're here because your body is barely holding on, you can't get back to it even if you wanted to."

Though he had finished speaking, the words weren't received, at least they didn't seem to be. Jin hadn't reacted the way he'd expected, he didn't react at all really, merely relaxed his posture. Jin slouched back against the wall, slowly sliding down into a heap on the floor, resting his head in his hands.

"You... You don't seem to concerned about it."

"What good would that do, I'd still be in the same position, and if I have no choice but to be here I might as well relax rather than lose it." He groaned, rubbing his temples apprehensively.

"No, that's not it. You are concerned, just not about your body. You're concerned about this; whats happening right now. Why?"

A callous, sarcastic smile broke Jin's expression as he raised his head lazily.

"Would you believe me if I told you I'm just shy?"

"I'm shocked. You live day to day doing what you do, and there's something in here that worries you?"

Just as the words left his mouth the air was split by a blood curdling scream that seemed to emanate all around them. Jin leapt to his feet, staring down the hall in the direction they had been previously heading, frozen in place, his limbs rigid. Eiji looked desperately to the black clad parasite, a pleading look filling his eyes as he awaited a reaction. After a brief moment of hesitation, Jin took off down the hall at full tilt, gasping as though he were out of breath already as a deep anxious pit grew in his chest.

Moments later the pair came to a break in the solid wall; an open doorway. Turning sharply they stopped dead in their tracks upon finding themselves in a blinding white room, the cries now louder than ever, it's source now clear. In the center of the room stood numerous adults dressed in the attire of Plantation medical staff, urgently working around a writhing figure safely restrained upon a hospital bed. Moving to the opposite side of the room the occupant was in full view, and the scene was more terrible than either of the boys could have imagined. Upon the bed was a young pilot, maybe four or five years their junior with a mess of black hair, drenched with sweat. He had been stripped down to nothing but his underwear, leaving the majority of his body exposed, displaying a horrific sight.

Covering nearly the entirety of his chest was a vicious dark blue tumorous mass, the amalgamation of flesh and biological matter so progressed they could hardly tell where it ended and the parasite's skin began. From the base of the growth, numerous blue extensions ran across the length of his body just under the surface of skin like tubes, so engorged they looked as though they would burst at any moment. The massive spider web of an infection ran down his thighs, his biceps, and even along his neck, reaching up to the borders of his eyes, which were hemorrhaged and filled with blood, further denoting the severity of his condition.

As the two looked on in a mix of shock and apprehension, the parasite continued his desperate wailing, fighting against his bonds, his voice becoming distorted and restricted as he began choking on a mixture of bloody froth and bile. As an orderly approached the patient to remove the liquid, Eiji glanced nervously in the direction of the accompanying black haired parasite at his side.

"Wh-What is this?"

His question fell upon deaf ears, Jin had been enthralled by the scene before him. He was stunned, unable to move, as the boy's pleading eyes seemingly met his own. He couldn't help but to stare back into the crimson mess, his every breath catching in his throat, every exhale a struggle as echos rang through out his mind.

 _Not yet!_

 _Not here!_

 _Fight through it!_

 _Live!_

 _Don't die like this!_

 _You have to live!_

The voice hammered inside his head, driving frigid nails into his brain. Those pleading eye's weren't begging for release, they were crying out for the strength to endure, to overcome the agony he was enduring. Countless hours flitted by as the onlookers awaited an end, and sure enough, the cries soon grew fainter, then fell to mere whimpers and pitiful sobs. Eventually they had stopped altogether as the parasite's eyes fell shut, short ragged breaths forcing their way past his battered vocal chords. Though the commotion had subsided the palpable tension remained as the pair idly remained. Jin had been stood at the bed side for the whole of the experience, one hand gripped the railing of the bed frame, knuckles white, while the other sat hovering just above the malicious growth of the child before him. His hand shook nervously as he traced it along the surface before bringing it back to his own chest, desperately gripping at his shirt, unable to tear his eyes away.

Moments later a sharp ring echoed throughout the room.

"Time to wake up, dead man."

The still figure of the young parasite burst to life as he gasped and choked, heaving from the exertion. As his strain lessened he used the little energy he possessed to face his addressee, Jin's eyes unconsciously following the boy's gaze. On the opposite side of the bed, a wooden cane rested atop the railing, held in the hand of a familiar old man.

"You're making me out to look quite the fool young man. You should be nothing more than a corpse by now, or at least a much quieter one anyways." Dr. Franxx taunted, lowering his cane and resting his weight against it.

"So how much longer will you keep fighting it? The chances of your condition improving are relatively slim. You know I can't lessen the pain anymore than it already is, are you really fine with that?"

The nod the boy gave was slight, almost unnoticeable, but his message was clear.

"What for? Even if all this ends well and your health improves you'll merely be sent back to the Garden, which means they'll dispose of you."

The old man nearly spat his last words, driving his point home. In some strange way it seemed as though he pitied the child, almost as though he was petitioning him to give up; To rest.

"I hav-... T-Try..." The boy whimpered, tears streaming down his cheeks as he gasped once more, the beginnings of the torment were clearly beginning to escalate once more as the muscles in his neck tensed, his fingers and toes curling. As the parasite arched his back violently, and bared his teeth at the coming wave of pain, Jin squeezed his eyes shut, bracing himself for the shattering howl that never came.

* * *

The air in the room had changed, it was now... warmer? Gone was the chill of the clinical ward and replaced with a more comfortable feeling. Jin opened his eyes, and to his great confusion the rise in temperature was the most minor of the changes. They were in a new room, lights dimmed and silent monitors lining the walls. This was a plantation briefing room, the change had been so sudden and without warning, it left his mind reeling as he tried to process everything he'd just seen and was seeing now.

"What... was that?"

His companion spoke up, eyes filled with pain and sorrow, glued to the floor as he focused on a larger concern than the change in location. The question was obvious but uncomfortable none the less, after all it had been a long time, and he'd never seen it from an outside perspective, but he had no idea it was such an appalling sight.

"I did say it was long story." Jin spoke in nearly a whisper, slowly lowering himself onto one of the many benches of the briefing room, leaning back against the another to his rear.

"So then, you never changed with the rest of us, because you didn't want us to see?" Eiji pressed, placing himself at his friends side.

Jin sat quietly for a moment, a silent debate running through his brain before finally shaking his head. Sitting up straight he gripped the base of his shirt before briefly hesitating. After quietly steadying his resolve, he took one final deep breath and raised the covering to reveal the grim sight beneath. Covering his chest was a gruesome scar resembling the remnants of what looked like a terrible burn, the skin clearly devastated. From its base ran a number of smaller ones, twisting and crawling across every surface, down to his belt line, to the edges of his sleeves and upwards to the collar, carefully hidden beneath every layer of the clothing.

"Not like you can tell anyone now anyways." He laughed, a vain attempt to cover his nervousness and fear. Keeping this secret had become second nature, to reveal it even in this facsimile of a real confrontation, screamed danger as though he were betraying his most basic instincts. Whatever it was from his companions reaction he'd feared, it never came to pass; No words were spoken, no gasps nor tears, merely those same pain filled eyes. The weight of the gaze filled him with a sense of unease, every thought his friend was thinking, every judgment, ever empathetic word flooded his mind like rain, drowning out all else. He was being pitied, and at the realization the unease was replaced with a new flurry of emotion; Discomfort, frustration, irritation... Anger.

Letting his shirt fall back into place, he twisted his eyes shut once more, squeezing his knees as he calmed himself. He knew this is what would happen after all, any normal person would react the same, he couldn't blame Eiji for that. However, he wasn't someone who needed to be pitied, he was strong enough to survive the infection and he was strong enough to survive anything else. He was strong, and he was skilled. He wasn't weak. Not anymore.

When he'd finally opened his eyes he found the room now filled with numerous new occupants. The black haired parasite stood at the front of the room, facing a plantation commander flanked by security. The man held a stern expression as he spoke, a heavy callousness clung to every word.

"Code 872, as it stands you are removed from active duty and stripped of your rank as an official parasite. You have shown fear in the face of the enemy and refused to sortie, and as a result when the next shuttles arrive, you will be boarding one, and returning to the Garden."

The child held his head low, facing the floor as his commanding officer spoke. His body quivered at the man's words, a clear desperation filled him, that alone was evident in the way he carried himself.

"If there is nothing else, you are free to return to the boarding house and await your departure. Someone will be sent to collect you when the shuttles arrive."

"I'd like to make a request!"

The outburst was sudden and had clearly caught the room by surprise. The parasite was now looking directly at the commander, fists clenched as he held his ground awaiting a response.

"It isn't your place to 'request' anything 872, now return to the boarding house immediately or I will have you escorted there."

"I just want a chance! Please!" The boy shouted, pleading with everything he had. As he'd moved forward his advance was forced to a halt, the plantation security moved to meet him, restraining his arms and holding him in place.

The commanders face became muddled with a look of annoyance; However, just as he began to give the order to remove the young parasite, he was cut off by a body-less voice, emanating throughout the room.

"Enough. Release the child."

All occupants turned to face the source, even Eiji and Jin were drawn to the voice, after all they'd heard its commanding pull their whole lives. It belonged to Papa. The main monitor at the front of the room displayed his daunting image, the remainder of the screens blinked to life displaying the remaining members of APE. The men released the parasites arms and held their own at their sides, standing at attention.

"You are dismissed commander. We would like to speak to with Code 872 and Dr. Franxx in private." The Vice Chairman ordered.

At the mention of the old man, the boy glanced over his shoulders, scanning the room before resting his gaze towards the two silent onlookers. Jin and his companion turned to follow the stare, finding Dr. Franxx silently stood at the rear of the room. After a quick, knowing wink from the doctor, the boy turned back to the displays once more just in time to see the adults file out of the room. As the door hissed shut, the space was now empty, save for the 872, the Doctor, and the pair of silent on lookers.

"Now, we will keep this brief. The doctor has informed us that you have a request. What is it that you wish to ask for that could hold enough importance to warrant out attention?"

The boy stood in silent, dumbfounded awe at his new audience. He had clearly hadn't expected that his request would be heard by Papa himself, and the entirety of APE. Gathering his courage he spoke with a quake to his voice, desperately trying to relay his plea.

"I-I know that I'm going to be sent b-back to the Garden, and I know what that m-means too. It means I'll be disposed of."

The faces stared in silence, the weight of their combined gaze was so great the room felt as though it were filled with water, crushing its occupants beneath its pressure. The boy took a deep breath, steadying himself for the remainder of his trial.

"I would like to instead be reassigned." He held his eyes shut as he finished, desperately trying to suppress his swelling anxiety.

"And where exactly would you have us send you? You are a failure Code 872, and as such you are no longer of use to humanity." Baboon replied, his voice cold and calculating.

"The front lines."

The reply had been so quick that it took even the Doctor by surprise. There hadn't been an ounce of hesitation in the child's voice as he threw his question out, eyes upon the monitors as he finally made eye contact with the Council.

"Why would you wish to go there? You have shown signs that you are afraid to defend your plantation, and yet you would have us send you to the front of all places?" Marmoset spoke up in response to the shocking reply.

"If I go it would be the same as me being sent back and disposed of. This way, at the very least you will be able to use me as a sacrifice."

"You've yet to explain the benefit to yourself. As said before you displayed signs of hesitation when faced with death. What would be different if you were reassigned? What do you stand to gain?" Lemur replied.

"There-... There is a chance that I could improve. If I don't die, I'll get stronger. If I get stronger I can become a better pilot."

The room fell silent once more as the masked figures turned to face one another. This had clearly not been expected, after all no parasite had ever expressed ideas of improving beyond what they were predicted to. That is why they were assigned code numbers, the lower the number the higher their potential as pilots. If your number was high you were deemed expendable, and with such a high designation the expectations of 872 were about as low as they could get.

"What do you think Doctor?" The vice chairman addressed the old man.

Dr. Franxx stroked his mustache with his thumb and forefinger as he considered the question genuinely. Finally he lowered his hand back to his cane and began.

"As I reported earlier, Code 872 had become infected with a mysterious growth just before his refusal to sortie, as a result of the test. We were unable to identify its composition, nor what it was trying to do; However we did discover that as the infection spread it began causing increasing levels of damage to the host. It was slowly destroying his cells and causing mass organ failure as though it were cancerous in nature, killing him slowly and putting him through indescribable pain. He should have died months ago, and yet-"

The doctor raised a hand toward the boy, a sly grin making itself apparent by the rising of his cheek.

"There he is. Slowly the infection fell into remission and vanished, even now we can find no trace of it whatsoever. His body not only fought off the infection but somehow grew a resistance to it, adapting and evolving in such an astonishingly brief amount of time. That alone was an impossible success, I see no reason why it couldn't happen again."

It seemed as though the following silence lasted a life time the room awaiting an answer to the question with baited breath, while Jin merely sat quietly, lowering his eyes as the conversation began once more.

"Then if I may ask, why did you refuse to pilot when the plantation required you to? You don't seem like you're afraid of giving your life for humanity, so then what was the reason behind such and action." Papa finally asked. His caring tone did well to hide the fact that his prying words were more of demand than a question.

Like a child caught where he didn't belong, Code 872's shoulders fell, his resolve wavering once more at the inquiry.

"I'm not a very good pilot. I'm not skilled like the others are, and I don't have experience to compensate for that either. Even before all this I was a failure as a parasite, and I knew that. I knew I was going to die one day in service to humanity and that never scared me. What made me afraid-"

He choked as he attempted to continue his train of thought. Gulping down the pit in his throat he continued.

"What I was afraid of was that I would fail and my partner would die with me as a result. That's why I asked for Code 068 to take my place."

The council seemed to draw back as though they were disgusted by what it was they were hearing, whilst Papa and the Vice chairman maintained their composure throughout. As the others scrambled to speak Papa held up a hand, halting the chastisement before it could even begin.

"As I'm sure you're well aware Code 872, sentimentality is strictly forbidden, even in regards to your fellow test subject." The Vice Chairman criticized.

The parasite nodded, eyes glued to the floor.

"However you don't seem to regret that, how curious. If I sent her with you to the front lines would you pilot with her?" Papa interjected.

Code 872 froze, eyes wide as he began to stammer. He couldn't lie, and yet he couldn't answer either, he was frozen, unable to continue.

"No, that much is clear. Normally you would be sent away for such a reaction, yet I would hazard a guess that this is all due to the Doctor's test. Additionally this emotional response is driving you towards what will most likely be a painful death, the opposite of what would be expected in most cases where such feelings are involved." Papa continued.

"I'm quite curious to see what becomes of you 872. Surviving your last brush with death was interesting indeed, so I will grant your wish and send you to your next one. You will be acting as the subject of a new test of sorts, if you truly believe that you can improve then I would like to see it. We will inform your next assignment of the situation and find you a new partner. Should you require anything else that you believe will assist this supposed growth, you may ask and I will consider the request."

"T-thank you, Papa." The boy spoke softly, voice full of amazement. His request had been granted, and with so much more than he imagined he could have ever deserved. He had his chance.

* * *

Jin had fell into his habit of letting his mind wander during recaps, even during this one. It was dredging up feelings he'd long since thrown away, namely a creeping regret. His gaze had remained fixed on the bench to his front for the remainder of the memory, not looking away for a moment as the emotions of the 872 echoed within him. Suddenly he'd felt a firm shove against the back of his head as his friend stood abruptly, taunting him as he did.

"Wake up, dead man. Time to get going."

"What, no questions now?"

"Course not, you're already starting to get it after all." Eiji replied as he leapt over the front bench, beginning towards the door.

 _Get what?_

Jin followed curiously as the door hissed open, flooding the room with an unusual sight; Sunlight. Following the lead of his companion, he emerged from the briefing room onto a thin walkway, the sounds of singing birds filling the air around them. Glancing over his shoulder, he found that the door they had exited through was gone, replaced by the large glass doors of the entry to a Plantation's birdcage. Picking up his pace he jogged to the white dressed parasite's side once more, allowing himself to be lead along a familiar path through the forest. After another few minutes spent walking in silence the shade gave way to sunlight once more, familiar lodgings looming out before them. As the pair approached, a smile began to creep its way across Eiji's face at the sight of ten parasites. Eight of the children stood on the the landing leading to the entrance, while two more stood facing each other at the foot of the stairs. One with shaggy black hair and dark brown eyes, suit case at his side, the other with short brown hair, buzzed on the sides and swept back on the top, and pale blue eyes. The parasite flashed a large welcoming grin as he extended his hand to the young boy opposite him.

"Hey! I'm the leader of Squad 75, Code 071, you can call me Eiji!"

The dark haired parasite took the other boys hand, smiling shyly as he did.

"I-I'm Code 872. It's a pleasure to meet you."

"Oh knock that off, what's your name?"

"My name?" The shorter parasite questioned, tensing in embarrassment.

"Yea! It's a lot easier for us to function using nicknames instead of our Code numbers. It helps us work better as a team."

"I-I don't have one."

"That's alright. I'll think of one for you myself, don't you worry!" The boy laughed, resting his hands on the dark haired parasite's shoulders reassuringly.

Jin smiled softly as the pair watched the two boys approach the remaining parasites. As they began with introductions he chuckled softly, turning to his friend.

"Could of picked something a little better don't you think?"

"'Could've picked something a little better, Sir' To you." Eiji replied teasingly, resting his arm around Jin's shoulders.

"I should have gone with you." Jin sighed, lowering his gaze as the group on the stairs walked inside.

"Cut it out. There's nothing you could have done and you know that."

"Why would that make me feel any better about it? I didn't go, and now when I wake up again you won't be there, that's all that matters. Guess you aren't here now either."

"I suppose not. The only me here is just a part of you, but I think that's fine, don't you?"

"If that's true then why all the questions before? You should already know the answers well enough."

"Maybe-" He began, leading Jin towards the lodgings. "They were just questions some small part of you wanted someone to ask."

* * *

The pair entered into the main hall of the boarding house, greeted by the sound of voices. These ones however were different, their tones far more familiar. As they followed their source up the stairs they came to the parasites' lounge on the second floor. Near the entrance stood three children, the current members of Team One, Kana and Gen, and a third parasite facing them. The additional member was a young girl,with short brown hair, styled into a pixie cut and brilliant green eyes that sparkled when they caught the light; Asumi.

"And finally, this is the lounge, where we spend most of our time before bed. Any questions?" Kana finished addressing the new arrival to the plantation, a cheesy grin plastered across her face.

Asumi returned her smile before glancing back towards the hall, as though searching for something.

"I met with all of the others, but I still haven't gotten to introduce myself to my new partner. Is he out right now?"

"No, he's just in there." Gen replied, gesturing into the lounge.

At the back of the room sat a young stamen, hair cut short and dressed in black. He had tucked himself onto a window sill near the far wall, eyes fixated outside. He'd been seemingly oblivious to the entire conversation, merely chewing softly on the tips of his fingers, consumed in thought.

"He's normally like this." Kana chuckled, shrugging her shoulders. "Not the most social person."

Just as she finished, Asumi slipped past her, approaching the distant parasite with purposeful stride. Standing a few feet away, Asumi merely watched for his reaction, when no acknowledgement was given, she raised a hand out to him, smiling softly as she spoke.

"You must be Jin. The others told me about you."

The boy lazily turned his gaze to the girl. Upon realizing the posture she held, his eyes widen mildly, clearly taken aback. Turning in his seat he lowered his feet to the floor, facing her directly as Asumi observed curiously.

"My name is Asumi, and I'll be your new partner from now on! I can't wait to start working with you!"

Blinking a few times in mild confusion, the parasites eyes flitted to the girl's hand, then back to her. After a brief hesitation he reached out and took it, reciprocating with an ever so small smile that never reached his eyes, his voice barely more than a whisper.

"Nice to meet you."

As the interaction finished, Eiji prodded Jin in the ribs with his elbow, tutting his disapproval.

"You're even worse than before."

Rolling his eyes at the remark Jin made to leave, rubbing his eyes softly. The events of this place were taking their toll on him. He was exhausted, though his body felt fresh his mind felt as though he'd been awake for days, pleading desperately for rest. He began debating on whether or not he should return to his room and try to sleep, after all they were in the boarding house that he called home, it wouldn't be so wrong of him. Before he could finish the thought he felt a sharp tug on his shoulder. Turning to face what he'd expected to be his grinning and curious friend he was met with a far different expression. Eiji smiled sadly, a calm resolve in his eyes.

"Not done yet Soldier. There's still more we have to see."

If Jin had thought to question the sudden pressure to continue, it was dashed by that look. Gulping nervously he followed behind as his friend lead him to the entryway once more.

* * *

The pair walked quietly, a few paces apart. Jin followed Eiji through the woods on a path he'd walked alone hundreds of times before. The sound of blustering wind grew as the trees began to space out, revealing the steep glass wall of the edge of the birdcage. Eiji came to a halt just before the edge, resting a hand upon the glass, staring off into the distance.

"You know, I really hate seeing what you're like now. You've gotten so bitter, and pushed everyone away. Do you really feel better this way?" He shook his head, gesturing to the figure of a young man lying in the grass a few meters away, feet pressed against the clear wall before them.

Jin didn't need to look to know who it was, he didn't much want to either. Eiji's words had caught him off guard but they were one's he'd asked himself many times as well.

"You wouldn't understand..."

"Why? Because I wasn't as strong as you are? Don't you think I wished every day that I could have been? Sure I wouldn't understand because in the end I couldn't make it back! You can! Every single time you can! So why is being strong something that makes you suffer, please explain because I never got to know!" He shouted, his voice drenched with irritation.

"Because being strong just means living long enough to watch everyone else die."

Eiji was taken aback by the curt reply. Turning towards the woods, Jin offered no further reply as he awaited the next event. As if on cue, the familiar parasite dressed in a night gown stared with curious green eyes as she exited into the clearing, calling out to the figure resting on the grass.

"What are you doing?"

"Looking, I suppose."

The parasite in black replied, remaining in place and ignoring the approaching teammate.

"Looking for what?"

Taking a seat at his side she awaited his reply, though it never came. After waiting a matter of minutes she smiled and pulled her knees to her chest, wrapping her arms around them gently.

"It was nice meeting everyone today, they all seemed like really nice people. Kana and Gen seem like great team leaders, although it kinda seems like Gen can be tough sometimes. Hiraki and Mai seem to know a lot as well, I hope I get to learn from them to someti-"

"Why are you telling me this? Shouldn't you be in bed?" Jin cut her off, lifting himself into a sitting position as he frowned.

"Shouldn't you?" The pistil shot back, giggling softly. "And I'm telling you because you're my partner. We should be able to talk about anything, right?"

The stamen furrowed his brows at the unexpected reply. It was the first time in a while anyone had spoke to him in such a relaxed manner, it was... refreshing, however it also made him feel uneasy; Vulnerable. Though he couldn't imagine why. After a moment of silence he sighed softly, lying back down.

"Alright then."

The girl laughed in reply and began again, continuing on about the events of her first day.

"Your new partner seems like a wonderful person..." Eiji replied, guilt in his eyes as he approached Jin, whose own were fixed on the girl sat on the grass at their feet.

"She is... She was with me when I ended up like this. I did my best to save her and everyone else, but I want to know they're okay."

"Was she enough to make you stop looking?" Eiji asked quietly, his voice nearly a whisper.

"No one would ever be."

"So then you would still leave to keep looking."

"Of course."

"Even if it kills you?"

"Even if it kills me."

"Well then-"

Jin had turned to face Eiji as he spoke but found that he'd vanished, only his voice remained in his head.

"I suppose it's time you woke up, dead man."

* * *

The world around him was dark, his body felt heavy and every muscle in his body burned as though they were covered in dying embers, but what was most pressing was that he found he could not breath. Panic setting in as Jin writhed in a mix of anxiety and aching pain, feeling the softness of fabric faintly brushing against his skin as he did so, desperately clawing at his throat. With one final push he heaved, gasping in a tremendous breath of air as his eyes shot open. In moments he'd shot up into a sitting position, ignoring the protesting of his aching body as he did so, drawing in air as he slowed his racing heart. Rapidly glancing around he'd recognized his surroundings, the stark white walls, the large window overlooking the inner city, the orange glow of numerous monitors surrounding the room. He was in the Plantation's medical ward. Placing a hand against his chest in search of his own pulse to further calm his panicked mind.

 _Time to wake up, dead man._


	4. Chapter 4: Beginnings

**A/n: Sorry for the long delay on this chapter! In my line of work this time of the year is terribly busy, and coupled with some personal issues it has left me with very little time to write. Hopefully, as of now i'll be able to get back to my more regular schedule and there will be no further delays for a while!**

* * *

 **Chapter 4: Beginnings**

The steady tone of the flat lined monitor filled the small hospital room, detached pads of the heart rate monitor hanging loosely at the bedside. Jin made his way to the small table at far end of the room and retrieved his clothes. Just as he began to lift his shirt from the table the familiar hiss of a mechanical door grabbed his attention.

"Code 003, you're awake!" Misa exclaimed as she entered the room. A worried expression crossed the caretaker's face as she cautiously approached. "You should be in bed."

"I'm fine. What happened?"

"Well, during the battle against the twin Gutenberg class, M3 was struck by the remaining klaxosaur. After M3 deactivated we could neither reach you or Code 260 and had ordered the remainder of the squad to finish the mission under the assumption that your team had been killed or disabled. A few minutes later your team's FranXX reactivated in stampede mode and made for the Gutenberg, eliminating both it and the remaining enemies who failed to flee." Misa railed off the information in a very 'matter of fact' manner before stopping, pursing her lips.

"Then what happened? What's the status of the remainder of Squad 75?"

"All of the parasites returned safely at the end of the mission and remain on stand by. Team Five was changed to inactive status after it's pilots were moved to the medical bay." She finished, averting he gaze as Jin's eyes widened ever so slightly before he began to press on.

"What do you mean 'pilots'? Asumi was relatively fine before I connected with M3, and any damage after the fact should have only been sustained by me."

"There was a separate event that led to Code 260's relocation. It had nothing to do with the battle."

"If that's the case it should be relatively unimportant news. So then why is it that you're not explaining it to me?" Jin asked as his concern continued to mount, briskly walking to meet the woman in the door way.

"Code 260 is currently undergoing an elected medical procedure and will return to active duty onc-"

Jin had cut her off, closing the distance to only a few feet as he spoke, desperation leaking into his voice.

"Where?"

* * *

Jin walked down the corridor at a rapid pace, nearly running, the words of the caretaker still reverberating in his ears; Elixir injection. An elixir injection? What could she possibly be thinking? They'd both lived and come out of the battle relatively unscathed as well, and yet his partner had gone and opted into such a life threatening procedure.

As he approached the nearby hospital room an attendee attempted to dissuade him at the door, however she made little effort to actually stop his progress.

"Code 003, the subject is best left alone right now. She is currently in the final stages of her proce-"

Sliding past the protesting medical staff member Jin reached out and activated the door panel. The metal door slid open, a soft and steady tone emanating from within. Quickly entering he took in his surroundings; Pure white walls and floor to match, monitors surrounding a nearby bed revealing a multitude of information, and upon that bed a girl. Her skin was pale and glistened with sweat under the harsh glare of the over head lights, her eyes sunken and lined with dark rims, and her once short brown hair had faded to a dull grey.

"You're an idiot." Jin chided, slowing his pace at the sight of his partner. He continued to her bed side, pulling up a stool with the toe of his shoe and dropping onto it.

"I- I can't really argue with that. I'm glad you're okay." Asumi responded with a weak smile, slowly opening her eyes as she turned to face her guest.

"What about you? You certainly don't look okay." Jin shook his head, sighing as he leaned against the bed post. "What were you thinking?"

"I'm not to sure anymore. I wanted to get stronger, but it doesn't seem like it helped at all really." She let out a soft, barely audible laugh, wincing in pain as she did so.

"You were fine as you were before. We lived up until now didn't we?"

"I know, but still..." Her words trailed off as she lied down flat once more, coughing gently in response to the exertion.

The pair sat in silence, only the sound of the heart rate monitors and hum of the lights remained. After a few more moments of the awkward stillness Jin felt a nudge against his finger tips. He glanced up once more to meet the gaze of his smiling partner. She lifted her hand and laced her fingers between his, Jin's heart falling at the cold sensation that had replaced the actions usual warmth.

"You never did tell me much about yourself. Do you think you could answer some questions for me since you're here?"

He nodded softly, as he slouched his shoulders. This was something he was used to, an interaction that held a painful familiarity, and one he'd rather not have to go through again.

"Good. We've been out of it for three days so I've had plenty of time to think about what I'd like to ask you!" Her breathing had grown more laboured however she maintained her joyful facade non the less. It was admirable, and one of the things he'd liked the most about her.

"How long have you really been piloting for? I know it's longer than normal parasites. Did you start early?"

"Roughly five years I think, it's hard to remember now. I started a lot earlier that other parasites do, when I was twelve years old was when I'd went on my first sortie."

"No wonder you're so used to this." She smiled again, tightening her grip on his hand a little more. "What about being leader? The others say you were offered the position but turned it down. Why?"

"I don't think I'm suited to be a leader. I'm more capable of fighting than anything else." Jin paused for a moment as he thought to himself. Twisting nervously in his seat he began again with a hesitation in his voice.

"I-... I don't think that If it came down to it I would be able to make the hard choices that a leader would need to make."

Asumi nodded thoughtfully before continuing, choosing not to press on the subject as her partner had seemed uncomfortable about the topic.

"Are you really from the Garden like us? Or are you some sort of super soldier like the nines?"

Jin laughed in response, placing his free hand a top their interlaced fingers, smiling sadly.

"No, I'm afraid I'm just like everyone else. A regular parasite, and nothing as exciting as a super soldier."

"Do you think you could tell me about who it is you want to see so badly? I'd really like to know about them if you don't mind."

As the words left her lips Jin winced, as though he'd been slapped in the face. The speed of the question had caught him off guard, and he had no reply to divert her curiosity.

"I can't." He finally responded, shaking his head slowly. When he'd looked back he'd found his partner to be smiling reassuringly, unphased by his refusal.

"I'd figured you wouldn't tell me, but I still wanted to ask. I really want to meet them someday! If they're your friend than I'm sure they're an amazing person."

Jin looked away, unable to meet her eyes as the conversation continued. The questioning had ventured into uncomfortable territory and he had no wish to inspire it to continue.

"When I found out you were going to be my partner, I was so exited." She began again, tears streaming down her cheeks. "Everyone admires you, and I was going to get the chance to stand beside you."

"When I first arrived and met everyone that excitement grew even more, until I could barely contain it, but when I first saw you it all fell away. Everyone else was like any other parasite I've ever met; Nervous, happy, confident, they all had one of the usual traits, but you were different. I'd never seen someone look so sad, so alone, and it made me want to be there for you."

"Asumi..."

"And the more I got to know you the more my feelings about piloting with you changed. You weren't just another stamen, you were like a great hero from a story book and it was clear you didn't really need a partner, you were strong enough to fight all by yourself. I still really wanted to be there for you, even if you didn't need me. I wanted to be better for you, even if it was the most difficult thing I'd ever have to do. More than anything, if you were the hero, I wanted to be your sword."

Jin unlaced their fingers, taking her hand between his, pressing it against his forehead as he stroked her palm with his thumbs. He twisted his eyes shut as he felt his frustration steadily growing, the knot in his stomach slowly tightening.

 _This isn't right._

 _You shouldn't be here right now_

 _Why is this happening?_

 _Why this again?..._

 _Always this..._

"It doesn't look like I'll be able to be with you anymore though..." Her smile quivered as soft sobs began to force their way through, her thin veil falling apart. "Do you think it'll hurt when it's over?"

"No, I'm sure it'll be peaceful." He replied, eyes fixed firmly upon the floor, gripping her hand tighter.

"Will you remember me like the others? Will you still think about me?"

"Of course, I would never forget you. You're my partner, and I'll always remember when you were." He winced as her sobbing increased in volume. Her hand began shaking in his grip as he held it to his lips, feeling the icy chill of her skin against his own.

"I'm scared Jin... I don't want to go yet."

"I-... I'm sorry." He answered, finally raising his gaze to meet hers. Her brilliant green eyes pooled with tears, her lips quivering as she fought through the pain that racked her body as she wept, her chest slowly rising and falling as the monitor sounded the slowed pace of her heart in the background.

She gasped once more as a choking sob caught in her throat, her hand falling limp between his. Slowly, the beautiful colour of his partner's eyes faded away, her chest falling still, and the monitors singing loudly the tone he'd heard from his own room not long ago.

As medical staff slowly filed into the room and began reviewing the readings upon the screens, Jin remained at her side, hand still held in his own, eyes fixed on hers though she no longer returned his gaze. They were now no more than mirrors that reflected his image, serving only to drive home the new reality: Once more, he was alone.

 _Always this..._

* * *

The sound of heels on wooden floor boards echoed throughout the boarding house, signalling the departure of the disheartened caretaker. The members of squad 75 sat in stunned silence as the result of the briefing they'd just received. They'd known about Asumi's condition but never wanted to believe that it could ever get the best of her, and yet despite their hope it had happened anyways. She was dead, it just didn't seem real.

The quiet was all encompassing, only disturbed by the soft sobbing of Team Two, as tears had begun to form in every members eyes. All except for one.

"He's really not here. Unbelievable." Gen scoffed, wiping his tears away as he stood.

"You heard Misa, he's only just woken up." Kana protested as she rose to her feet as well.

"Please, you know as well as I do that Jin already knows, and yet he's probably off skulking around in the woods instead of here with his squad mates. I bet he doesn't even care that his partner, our friend, is dead!"

"We don't know that Gen, we haven't even spoken to him yet." Daisuke added, shaking his head sadly.

"Yea, well then let's go talk to him." Gen hissed as he stormed out of the room.

After a moment of hesitation the remainder of the squad jogged after their leader, exiting the boarding house. The group began into the woods following at Gen's heels as he stomped off towards the edge of the birdcage, fists clenched so tightly that his nails dug into the palms of his hands. After a while a distant sound broke the silence of the forest, a soft clacking of stone against stone echoing between the trees. As the group breached the treeline they found themselves in a small clearing, and the source of the noise had become clear.

Near to the far side of the clearing sat the black clad parasite, slumped on his knees before a collection of small stone mounds. To his side sat and assortment of small rocks that he had been using to construct a new, twenty-fifth pile, directly at the center of the array.

"You know Asumi's dead, don't you?" Gen called out, receiving no acknowledgement of his words.

"Your partner, she's gone, and she's never going to come back. Does that mean anything to you?!" He continued, pressing forward as he clenched his teeth. Still no response.

"She's dead and gone and here you are fooling around, not a damn care in the world!" Gen screamed, swinging his clenched fist with all of his might.

With a sharp crack it connected with the back of Jin's head, throwing him to the ground and toppling a number of nearby piles. Gen reached down and grabbed his shoulder, rolling him over onto his back and threw a number of punches directly into his face, pummelling him over and over again. Their squad mates could only look on in disbelief as the scene unfolded, it all seemed like a dream. Asumi was gone, and now their squad leader was assaulting their best pilot, it couldn't be real.

As Gen continued, his temper flared higher, Jin had made no attempt to fight back or defend himself, he hadn't even raised his arms. Just as another hit was about to make contact Gen was hauled backwards, Daisuke and Hiraki restraining him as he fought against them.

"Do something! How can you just sit there! Don't you feel anything?!" Gen shouted at the top of his lungs, tears streaming from his eyes as he received no response yet again. Jin merely laid flat against the ground, staring distantly towards the sky as blood streamed down his battered face and formed small pools on the grass beside his cheeks.

Jerking his arms free of his two squad mates Gen stood, panting heavily as he took one last look towards Jin, hissing out his final words before turning to leave.

"It should have been you. In fact, you should have been gone long before we ever arrived. You should have never been a member of our squad."

As Gen marched off towards the boarding house the remainder of the squad followed slowly behind, heads hung low. Kana however stayed for a moment to be sure that her fellow squad mate was alright. A small smile broke her face as he rolled onto his side and drug himself onto his hands and knees. However, it was wiped away moments later as she watched him crawl to the first of the small stone monuments, and with shaking hands, began rebuilding.

* * *

The squad had taken their seats in the lounge once more, the recent events still weighing heavily on everyone's minds. Gen hadn't returned with them, instead choosing to return to his room, while Kana had followed to be sure he was okay.

"I knew things were difficult between those two, but I never thought any thing like this would happen." Daisuke spoke up, rubbing his forehead wearily.

"I don't like what Gen did, but he did have a point. I mean you saw his face, Jin really didn't seem to care about Asumi after all." Kazuo sighed, tears still clung to the corner of his eyes as he wiped his glasses clean.

Just as the words left the young parasites mouth the sound of the front door creaking closed silenced the groups conversation. Footsteps echoed throughout the house as someone climbed the stairs to the second floor. Daisuke stood, starting towards the entrance to the lounge just as Jin stepped into view, making towards the boys dorms. His face was covered in dried blood, the beginnings of multiple bruises showing on his face, and yet he held no expression, his eyes cold and hard as he paid the group no mind.

"Hey. Are you alright?" Daisuke began, stepping out to intercept his roommate.

"I'm fine."

"You don't look fine. You should get cleaned up, and we should get someone to take a look at your face."

"It's nothing. Can I go now?" Jin slid past, continuing down the hallway.

"This wasn't your fault Jin." Jin stopped in his tracks at the words, tensing his jaw in frustration as Daisuke continued. "You did everything you could, we know that."

"That's the point!" Jin screamed as he turned to face his squad mates.

The group winced at the sound. None of them had ever heard him raise his voice since any of them had arrived, not once. The sound shook them all, they hadn't expected Jin to react at all, let alone with this mixture of pain, exhaustion and anger.

"I did everything right, there wasn't anything I could have done better. I fought as hard as I could to keep everyone alive, when Asumi couldn't fight anymore I continued so she wouldn't have to. I took the risks because if not, everyone would have likely died. There were no mistakes, no errors, no slip ups, and she died anyways! Is that supposed to make me feel any better?!"

"She only did what she did because she wanted to be a better pilot. A better partner for you! It was her choice!" Mai sobbed, hunching over as Hiraki rested a hand on her shoulder.

"She was fine the way she was. We succeeded during every single mission with little to no real risk. I was fine and she was a perfectly capable pistil, there was no point to this! There was no reason to gamble her life on something so stupid!"

"You don't understand Jin, she just wanted to keep up with you! She didn't want to have you carry her through every mission she wanted to help you! She took the harder path because she wanted that so badly, she was suffering the way things were and she just didn't want to live with that pain anymore!" Aki protested, moving to stand at Daisuke's side.

"Life is pain!" Jin shouted. If any of the others had planned to continue their debating they had been dissuaded from doing so, not just by the statement, but the look of utter exhaustion on the speakers face that accompanied it as well.

"Every single morning I wake up in pain! I eat, sleep, fight and breathe in pain! Do you have any idea how many times I've wanted to just give up? How many times I've thought about ending it instead?!"

Jin panted heavily, hanging his head upon finishing. The group merely sat, staring at their teammate in stunned silence, dumbfounded by his words. Minutes before they had thought him uncaring and calloused, but it had seemed he was taking it the hardest of all of them in his own way, that had become clear to each and every one of them.

"But what would any of you know about that?..." He began again, regaining his frigid posture, though his eyes bore a heated look of disdain behind them.

"To most of you this is a shock, something that's completely unexpected, a whole new experience. You've never had a squad member die before, let alone see one die in front of you. I've seen it, lots of times, a lot more than any of you will ever have to experience. None of you are particularly strong, not like me, so you'll never know what it's like to be alone in a fight, surrounded by the broken bodies of your squad mates who fought with you only moments before. None of you will ever know what it's like to experience all that, to gain and lose, only to gain and then lose again."

"The people around you will be the squad you live with, and more than likely the squad you die with, but not me. You'll die and I'll survive, then you'll be replaced, and it'll all just happen again with the next squad too. Kazuo, before, after your first sortie with our squad you said that one day you'd all have lived as long as I have right?"

The younger parasite nodded his head with great trepidation, barely meeting Jin's gaze as he continued to speak.

"I hope you don't. I hope you die long before that, because it would be for the best. Because of the amount of time I've lived I've changed, I can't relate to the people around me anymore and they view me as an outsider because of it. For a long time I've been alone, it's a feeling you wouldn't understand yet but if you live as long as you hope to you'll find out; What it's like to stand in a room, surrounded by people, and in that moment feel more alone than you ever have before. That's what you'd have to look forward to, no one will understand you, no one will be there for you, at least not really, and everyone but you will die. If you live long enough, the only thing you have left is the certainty that you'll end up alone."

Finishing his speech, Jin sighed and relaxed his posture, running his fingers through his hair before shaking his head. Before any of the squad had a chance to speak he turned, leaving them to hang on the thoughts he'd instilled in them. As he left no one spoke, no one moved, they never even looked up from the floor.

* * *

The squad sat awkwardly along side their respective teammates, no one having the courage to approach Jin who sat alone near the rear of the room. The briefing had been called first thing in the morning just after breakfast, though it could have easily come before. No one really had much of an appetite, and after last night it was easily understandable. It seemed like they wouldn't be deployed today, which was likely for the best, none of them really had a proper nights sleep. Jin's condition was an oddity however, he seemed relatively composed and alert, only the dark circles beneath his eyes revealed that his night had been spent wide awake.

"As you are all well aware, yesterday afternoon, Code 260 passed away due to incompatibility with the elixir procedure." Commander Ryuta began, cutting the rooms tension with his calloused tone.

"As a result, Team Five will be replaced, this will likely happen within the week. After the new members arrive your squad will be permitted to sortie once again. Until then you will be on standby, serving only as a defensive unit for the plantation."

Kana raised her hand, a look of concern upon her face. After a nod of recognition from the commander she began her questioning.

"What do you mean by 'members'? Team Five's stamen is still alive, are we adding another team to the squad?"

"No, Team Five will be replaced in a pair as Code 003 has been reassigned. He will be leaving at the end of the day."

The squad all lurched at the final words, staring towards the commander in mild shock. Just as commander Ryuta was set to continue, a voice cut him off, calling out from the back of the room.

"Where?" Jin questioned, eyes narrowing as he held his gaze with the commanders expressionless eyes.

"A plantation in the rear guard, it houses a newly formed test team. You, along with the M3 unit will be transported the evening and arrive roughl-"

"Why?" He stood, struggling to maintain proper etiquette throughout the line of questioning.

"I've lost partners before, I managed after the first, I can manage after the fourth. Send another pistil, I can still fight just fine."

"I'm afraid it's already been decided. This isn't up for debate Code 003."

"I'm more use here than I am anywhere else, so why am I being sent away to the rear?" He sighed, stepping into the walkway between the benches leading to the front of the room.

Before the conversation could continue however a small tone sounded from the center console, drawing the commanders attention. Quickly moving to review the alert the commander scanned its contents, closing the message and readdressing the group as a whole.

"Squad 75, you are dismissed. Code 003, you'll remain here."

As the occupants of the room filed out of the room, Jin held his position, staring directly at the as he left as well. None of his squad turned to spare him a glance as they left, no one could bring themselves to.

After a brief hiss signalled the sealing of the door Jin turned his gaze towards the central monitor, as he became aware of the familiarity of the situation. Just then, the monitors came to life, and Papa was starring back at him.

"Code 003, It appears you've had a less than favourable encounter. Are you alright?" Papa gestured towards him, clearly referring to the wounds on his face. The mask of concern was unnerving, but Jin pushed such thoughts to the back of his mind as he replied.

"It was just a fall, nothing more than an accident. I'm fine Papa."

"I see. I understand your displeasure at your reassignment, but I assure you that it is in the best interest of humanity."

"I'm afraid I don't understand, how could taking me away from the fight be of use Papa?"

"True to your wish we have allowed you to live on the front lines for a number of years, and just as you had hoped you have progressed exponentially. Even now I would argue that there isn't a pilot that can stand shoulder to shoulder with you, however, do to that fact you can no longer continue on with this way of life."

With a flick of his wrist, a display lit up at Papa's side, showing a multitude of different information, from battle statistics to replays of past engagements that M3 has taken part in.

"You have become the pilot you'd wanted to be, now it is time for you to step back. We have a plan that will require your abilities in order to succeed. No matter how capable you are now there is always a chance that you will suffer sever damage or perish in combat before the time for this mission to begin has arrived, by moving you to a low threat area this risk is lowered substantially. Additionally, this plantation is the site of a new test team as you are aware, under the supervision of Doctor Franxx. These parasites will be acting in a very similar situation to yourself with substantially lowered regimentation, you would serve as an excellent template for them. You will be added to this teams roster as a substitution, filling in only when the situation calls for such an action, or an injury leaves you with no other stamen to pilot." Papa finished, folding his hands before him.

"I see. Thank you for explaining, Papa." Jin spoke softly as he lowered his head in defeat.

"There is no need to despair my child, this is all a means to an end, and your efforts will not go unrewarded. When the time comes, you will see your partner again."

Jin's gaze never left the floor as the monitor faded, leaving him alone in the briefing room. He couldn't have moved even if he'd wanted to; Those words, that reassurance, had left him paralyzed from the anticipation.

* * *

Jin walked steadily behind the two black clad men in front of him who carried the remainder of his belongings, his heavy watch coat draped lazily over his shoulders. The members of Squad 75 waited just outside of the boarding house, watching intently as the procession carried on down the walk way towards the elevator.

"What will we do now? Without him, we're as good as dead..." Kazuo cried, sniffling into his hands as Daisuke rested his hand on his back reassuringly, though he couldn't manage to say anything in that moment.

As the group passed by the squad, Kana stepped out to meet them, intercepting Jin. She smiled softly as she opened her mouth to speak, hesitating as the words seemed to catch in her throat. After a moment she seemed to regain a fraction of her composure, sighing softly before speaking.

"I'm sorry Gen wasn't here, but you know how he is..." As the words left her voice seemed as though it failed her, tears beginning to stream down her face as he sturdy facade began to crumble away, the weight of the past two days finally becoming to much to bear.

She stepped forward, wrapping her arms tightly around him, burying her head in his shoulder as she began to weep softly, shaking her head as she began again.

"I'm sorry. I'm so sorry, I wish I could have done more for you while you were here, before you had to-"

"There's nothing you can do for me Kana, there was nothing you could have ever done." Jin spoke deliberately, turning towards the others as she released him, stepping back slightly with her head lowered.

"But them, they need you, and you can be there for them just like you always have. You've always been a terrific leader for your squad, I was just never really a part of it." She looked up to him smiling back at her, a n expression that never reached his cold, hollow stare.

As he stepped around her, she turned to watch along with her squad, as the famous stamen of Team Five, Code 003, walked away, never once turning to look back.

* * *

As he approached the carrier, Jin took note of the black mech sat holding its knees being loaded into the hold, turning away as thoughts of its last sortie attempted to creep their way into his mind. At the foot of the walk way boarding the ship stood the purple haired caretaker, waiting for him to arrive.

Boarding the ship, Misa followed closely at his side, reaffirming information with the crew of the ship as the walked towards the cabin of the aircraft. Jin took his seat near to the front of the plane, sliding up to the wall to stare out the window. Misa took her seat beside him, referring to a data tablet as she began briefing him on the information about his new home, though at this point he'd already become lost in his own thoughts, memories of his past flooding his mind.

* * *

Jin sat at the edge of the FranXX's lowered face plate, smiling as he stared out towards the endless expanse before them, the sun slowly falling behind the skyline casting a brilliant red glow across the sky.

"We'll be together forever won't we?" The girl behind him questioned, moving to take a seat at his side just out of his view.

"Well, together until the end at least!" he responded with a smile.

"Why does it have to end? I don't want it to ever have to end, not like the last time..."

"It's just the way things are. Everything ends eventually, and it's always going to be sad." He replied. At his words the girl grew sombre, lowering her head as she began to fidget uncomfortably. He rested a hand on her head, gently stroking her hair causing her to relax in a moment, before speaking again.

"But everything begins again, and I think that'll always be happy!"


End file.
